What makes the perfect bedroom blinds? Well, that’s a surprisingly big question. One needs to look at a number of factors to make an informed decision, some of which are not immediately obvious. So let’s start with the big one:
What do you want?
So all of our blinds come with a variety of properties that will commend them to your specific needs, the tricky part is working out exactly what you want. Do you want the room to be totally blacked out for an uninterrupted snooze or do you just want to create a nice ambiance? You need also to think about your decor styling and colour palettes which we can also run through. So let’s get stuck right in.
Fabric Blinds
If you struggle to sleep due to the light outside, or your somewhat untrustworthy internal alarm clock is an absolute let down waking you up at 6am when you are trying to sleep in on the weekend, then we have a simple solution for you. We would absolutely recommend any of our fabrics marked as blackout, which means they are a thicker fabric that prevents any light of any kind from penetrating it. This means your room can stay dark all day, tricking that annoying alarm clock in your brain into thinking it's still night and not triggering, as well as helping you get a deeper, less interrupted sleep in general. Blackout blinds are also great if you like to watch telly in bed, as they prevent any glare coming off of the screen so you don’t miss a single moment of your favourite show.
However, you may be like me and struggle to drag your sorry self out of bed in the morning. With it comes the fear that a fully blackout blind roller blind would make that even harder, or worse it may make you sleep through your alarm altogether. For the other comatose people out there I would strongly recommend a thick dimout roller, which don’t have blackout linings, allowing for trace amounts of light to penetrate your room. At night this is negligible; low lighting like street lamps or car headlights won't make a noticeable difference, however, come morning, daylight will stream through and wash the space with the colours of the fabric.
A cheeky lifehack here is to use a blue blind. Blue light upon waking up is a cue signal for our brains to release a large dose of the stress hormone Cortisol. “But isn’t that a bad hormone?” I hear you say from behind your non-existent neuroscience degree. Usually, you would be right, but according to a number of interesting studies, in the mornings it's actually kinda great. a large spike in the morning is very useful for preparing the body for the day and resetting your circadian rhythm which regulates everything from cognition to digestion.
Another perk of going for a dimout only fabric is that it is wonderful for creating a great nap space. Trying to nap in a bright room is difficult, and napping in a dark room makes it so much harder to wake back up. With a colourful dimout, using calming tones like lilacs and soft pinks, the whole room will be washed with a soothing colour that relaxes the mind and makes it so much….easier...to….drift….
Obviously, this effect is more pronounced in white or light neutral rooms where the blinds have a blank canvas to paint.
Then you need to decide if you want a vertical or roller blind. Blackout Roller blinds are currently the most popular, combining a simple mechanism that is easy to install with a huge variety of colours and patterns. Picking the right roller comes off as uncomplicated and sophisticated and we really dig it.
Alternatively, you could swing for vertical blinds, which have a few key advantages. For one, the different mechanism allows for them to be fitted to much larger windows; now I don’t know how large your bedroom window is but I can almost guarantee that you will be able to find a vertical that fits. They also allow for greater light modulation, altering slat angles will allow you to get just the right level for your room. While having just as many colours to choose from as the roller, patterns are much more limited so try to keep that in mind as you plan your room.
Venetians
While Venetian blinds are an absolute staple of the industry, they are generally not as blackout as, for example, a roller blind, as any light shining onto the blinds can cause light to seep in behind them. However, we recommend our range of 50mm wide slatted wooden blinds as these fulfil a similar role as the blackout blinds. When closed in an incline position no light will penetrate the slats, which then can be repositioned to modulate light when you do want it. Be wary that there may still be a subtle bit of light seeping through but it will be far less noticeable than the standard 25mm slat.
Now with the 50mm blinds you have the choice between real and faux wood. While instinctively you want to go for the real thing, and there is no problem with that, you do need to be careful. Real wood over time can start to absorb ambient moisture from the air, so whilst these are fine in a bedroom - we would give them a miss in the bathroom. The faux wood is resistant to such fatigues over time, and has the added bonus of flexibility when it comes to colours and slat sizes. They also look and feel exactly like the real thing, so only you will know. It will be your dirty little secret.
Shutters
The plantation shutter blind is another option in a vein similar to the wide slat Venetian, using broad wooden slats that are completely light impermeable. Drawn upward they block downward pointing light effortlessly, then they can be repositioned throughout the day to allow for changing light conditions. The real reason to pick shutters though is simple, they are cool as heck. Like the wooden Venetian blinds they come as either real and faux, and once again we would recommend the faux. The only exception we would say is if you want the wooden colouring or texturing then the real wood is definitely preferable and our range of made to measure wooden blinds features countless options for you to choose from.
Roman Blinds
Technically a fabric blind like the rollers and verticals, Roman blinds have a very different aesthetic which justifies it having its own category. Using a different mechanism, that cascades the fabric rather than rolling it, and a variety of rich colours that make them more artsy than convenient light control, they have a very different flavour to the traditional fabric blinds. A number of them are available with a blackout lining, making them perfect bedroom blinds that need some rustic flavoring.
Honeycomb blinds
Honeycomb blinds are pretty cool little buggers. Featuring a distinct 3-dimensional honeycomb design, they have some unique quirks that give them a serious edge as a bedroom blind. However, they won’t work on all windows - you’ll need to make sure you have a UPVC double glazed windows (most new build homes and windows from the last 20 years are this type of window). But honeycomb blinds come in a variety of fabrics, and all have great thermal properties and are all 100% blackout. You can choose the perfect level of light permeability for you. These fabrics also come in a number of different colours and tones that allow you to create the perfect accessory to your already beautiful decor.
A lot of honeycomb blinds also comes with a unique bracket that allows it to retract on any point on the window, meaning that you can have it covering the lower half of the window only, hiding you from sight while still letting in some natural light. It’s also great if your pillow seems to be in direct line with the morning sun, as you can keep out that particularly annoying beam while still letting the room “wake up” as the sun rises.
Let’s talk styling!
So you have the type of blind you want, but now you need to decide on the style. You look around your depressingly beige room and with a sigh, you realise that beige is kinda rubbish when it is ON EVERY WALL. You want colour, you want life! But what colour? Do you go for a pattern? Does it need to match all the walls?
Well, our first piece of advice is simple. Stop overthinking it!
Obviously there are a few guidelines so you don’t disrupt the harmony of your room with a total Yoko of a blind but they are fairly obvious; like don’t get a complex pattern blind if you have an entirely different patterned wallpaper, or don't get a pale, pasty yellow blind for a beige room unless you want to make your guests fall asleep from boredom.
Just think about what your room needs. Smaller bedrooms may benefit from a more lightly coloured blind that opens the space up, or maybe your bright pink walls (while still a great idea) need a darker, neutral grey to help calm down the general vibe.
Once you have that basic criteria pegged down, then you just gotta pick your colours! Work out whether you want a bright statement colour that draws the eye or a more muted tone that does the job without demanding too much attention. Use a colour wheel to work out what colours contrast well. Alternatively, you may be looking for a nice pattern, in which case you would benefit from tying the coloured accents into your palette. Try to maybe stick to about 3 colours in total, but if you want to go bonkers with a smattering of colour then we won’t stop you, you crazy cats! We have some very basic styling advice on a lot of our pages if you need some ideas.
Don’t just look at the walls either, think about your furnishings too. Anything from bed frames and dressers to coloured shets and throws can be factored into your overall colour palette.
Things to bear in blind
So you have the perfect blind in mind; the fabric, the colour, the style. But there are a few important things you should remember.
Perhaps most important is that even if you have a completely blackout blind you still run the risk of light leaking in around the edges. There is a fairly easy way of resolving this, however. Instead of hanging it within the window recess, you will need it to go over the entire gap. Make sure that when you are entering the measurements for your spiffy new blind on our site that you select the “exact size” modifier. This allows you to add a few additional cm on either side meaning it fits tidily over the entire recess and keeps out that cheeky leaky light.
Finally, just try to remember that this blind isn’t just a functional tool to keep out the light. It is also an opportunity for you to make a mark on the room you spend a significant amount of time in. It is the crown jewel of your personal castle, so take the time to find the perfect finish for your dream home. We are ready when you are!
